The Conscience Chip
by flee the light
Summary: It's a new year at Sandy Bay High School and things are weirder than ever: Toby and Elizabeth are now a couple! However, Dina is back and determined to prove that Elizabeth is a fraud. Meanwhile, a mysterious couple are keeping Toby and Elizabeth under surveillance. Script continuing the story into Season 3.
1. Chapter 1

Obviously this is not some lost Wicked Science script from the vaults but a piece of fanfiction. It's just an idea I had about how to continue the story after the conclusion of Season 2, not for an entire season, but for a single extended episode. I initially tried writing prose fiction but it didn't work out very well. I found this approach more natural and easier to write (makes sense since it's closer to the format of the real show). I have no experience of writing screenplays, so I just made it up as I went along based on my rather vague idea of what a script would look like.

The Conscience Chip

(Scene: We see first the clock tower of Sandy Bay High School, then the inside of a conspicuously battered car parked in the school car park. DINA is sitting in the passenger seat. She is tanned, has a cooler hairstyle than when we last saw her and is wearing some kind of alternative outfit. At the wheel of the car is RAUL, a dark haired, athletic, vaguely bohemian man in his 20s, tight black t-shirt, tattoos, etc.)

DINA: Thanks for the lift. (She reaches across and kisses him on the lips.)

RAUL: No problem. Nervous?

DINA (looking out of the window up at the school): No… why would I be? It's just a bit weird being back here after a whole year away.

RAUL: You know I still can't believe you're actually at school.

DINA: Oh I don't know about that. (She kisses him on the cheek.) I'm just going to have to get used to being back here.

RAUL: Yeah, but you'll get to see your friends again. Toby and Russ, that's what you said their names are, wasn't it?

DINA: Yeah, that's right. Well remembered.

RAUL: Well, I have an ulterior motive. When you tell me your best friends are a couple of guys, I don't forget a piece of information like that. They might be competition.

DINA: Competition? No, no. It's not like that, we're just friends. Maybe I did have a little thing for Toby at some point, but that's ancient history.

RAUL: Sure?

DINA: Sure. Trust me.

RAUL: And what about Russ?

DINA: Russ? No way.

RAUL: Why not?

DINA: You'll see when you meet him. Definitely not my type.

RAUL: But Toby was your type?

DINA: Toby? No, he's not my type either. But he's special.

RAUL: Now you've really got me worried.

DINA: Raul, you've really got nothing to worry about. Toby's an interesting guy, and yes, he is a bit special. But I have totally moved on from dating high school guys. (She kisses RAUL on the mouth again, this time for a bit longer.)

RAUL: Glad to hear it. Still, I'm looking forward to meeting them.

DINA: You will soon. (glances at watch) I'd better go.

RAUL: Sure.

(DINA gets out of the car. RAUL winds down the window. DINA turns to face him.)

DINA: What are you doing tonight?

RAUL: Nothing. I'll be at home. Want to come round? Eva will be there, unless I can find a way of getting rid of her.

DINA: Oh don't do that. You know how much I like her. I like hanging out with the two of you. I think it's sweet how you live with your sister.

RAUL: Thanks, she likes you too.

DINA: Yeah?

RAUL: Yeah. She told me.

DINA: I'm glad. Call me later?

RAUL: Definitely.

(DINA walks away from the car and heads towards the entrance to the High School. She sees RUSS hanging about on his own, a little way ahead of her.)

DINA: Russ! Hey Russ!

(RUSS turns, smiles and waves at DINA, who quickly catches him up. She gives him a big hug, which he returns slightly awkwardly.)

DINA: Great to see you!

RUSS: Great to see you too! Wow, you look way different.

DINA (pouting slightly): In a good way or a bad way?

RUSS: In a good way, definitely. You've… grown up a lot.

DINA: You're the second person to tell me that today. Maybe it's true. (Glancing around her) So where's Toby?

RUSS (awkward): Toby? Oh, he'll be along. I was just waiting for Sasha actually.

DINA: Sasha? Toby's cousin? I remember him mentioning that she'd moved here. Is she nice?

RUSS: Oh yeah. She fitted right in. We've been hanging out loads.

DINA (slightly suspicious): You boys didn't replace me, did you?

RUSS: Replace you? Oh no. You'll like Sasha. Definitely. So how was your year anyway?

DINA: Amazing. I've been to so many places, met so many amazing people. It's really worth it, if you get the chance.

RUSS: Humph… Not likely I'm afraid.

DINA (gushing): And… I met this amazing guy in Hong Kong. His name's Raul. He's Australian, but he was out in Hong Kong working for an NGO. He's really smart and totally chilled. And very well-read. He could even give Toby a run for his money on the smartness front.

RUSS: Uh… Great!

DINA: (still gushing) And you know what the best bit is? He just moved back here! He moved in with his sister, who's renting a place right here in Sandy Bay! She's totally cool too – works for an NGO campaigning against coastal pollution. We'll all be able to hang out loads.

RUSS (awkward): Right.

DINA: So what happened round here last year? Toby was a bit remiss on keeping me up to date.

RUSS: Oh, heaps.

DINA: I see they got rid of the doll.

RUSS: The doll? Oh yeah, the doll. Yeah, long gone. Garth shrunk it the first day of term last year.

DINA: Garth shrunk it? What, with Elizabeth's shrink ray?

RUSS: Yeah, that's right.

DINA (suspicious): Don't tell me Elizabeth's a genius again?

RUSS (apologetically): Yeah, she is.

DINA: And what about Toby?

RUSS: Yeah, he had to re-genius himself to turn me and Sasha back into humans.

DINA (more and more concerned): Humans? What from?

RUSS (deadpan): Flies.

DINA (by now outraged): Flies?! Let me guess, Elizabeth turned you into flies.

RUSS: Uh… yeah. But to be fair to her she wasn't exactly intending to turn us into flies.

DINA: What was she intending to turn you into? Rats?

RUSS: Oh no, she was just going to turn Toby into a fly if he broke into her secret lab.

DINA: That's enough already! So last year it was all just the same. I can't believe Elizabeth has the nerve to show her face round here.

RUSS: Oh, you'd be surprised.

DINA: So Toby was busy all year fighting Elizabeth?

RUSS: More or less.

DINA: But he defeated her, right?

RUSS: In a way, I suppose you could say so.

DINA (slightly aggrieved): Toby didn't tell me any of this.

RUSS: Oh, he probably didn't want to worry you. With you being so far away, you wouldn't have been able to do much. Anyway, it was a bit more complicated than that.

DINA: More complicated? (Conversation interrupted by arrival of SASHA).

SASHA: Hi Russ! (gives him a friendly little shove)

RUSS: Sasha! This is Dina Demiris!

SASHA (shaking DINA's hand): Hi! Great to finally meet you! I've heard all about you!

DINA (slightly jealous): Good to meet you too! You're staying at Toby's place, right?

SASHA: Yeah, that's right.

DINA: You didn't come to school together then?

SASHA (looks awkwardly at RUSS): Err… no.

DINA: I'm beginning to wonder if he's even coming.

SASHA: Oh he'll be here. We'll see him in class.

DINA: Oh. Ok.

RUSS (to SASHA): Dina was just talking about her new boyfriend.

SASHA: Oh really? (to DINA) Do tell!

(DINA begins to repeat her account of RAUL as the three of them go inside the school building).


	2. Chapter 2

(Inside the school. At the lockers)

DINA: Just got to find where my new locker is. I'll see you guys in a minute.

RUSS (overly enthusiastic): Ok! See you later!

(DINA walks away)

SASHA (conspiratorial): Did you tell her anything?

RUSS: Sorry. Couldn't find any way of getting it into the conversation.

SASHA: Come on Russ, she's your friend.

RUSS: Well you could've mentioned it.

SASHA: I could hardly do it, we've only just met.

RUSS: She'll find out in a minute anyway.

SASHA: Yeah. But it's going to be a big shock. Toby should've told her. I don't know why he didn't. Didn't he say he spoke to her on the phone the other day?

RUSS: Yeah, but just for like 20 seconds. Dina was in the airport or something. I think she only got back into the country a few days ago.

SASHA (shrugs shoulders): Well, that's it, then. I hope she's not the kind of person to make a scene in class.

DINA (back with them): Who's going to make a scene in class?

SASHA: Oh no one… I mean… I hope Peeta isn't too mad that Emma started dating her ex-boyfriend.

DINA: Oh come on. It's none of her business, surely?

SASHA (smiling ruefully): Probably not.

DINA: So what's this Mr Woods like?

(They head into class)

(The classroom – the usual students are at their desks. DINA heads for her old seat, which is empty. VERITY is sitting in TOBY's usual seat. She smiles at DINA and pulls back her chair to let her pass.)

VERITY: Hi Dina! Welcome back!

DINA: (nonplussed) Err… hi Verity.

VERITY (impressed): You look really cool.

DINA (deadpan): Thanks.

(She sits down next to VERITY, looking at her very oddly. VERITY simpers, laughs, but says nothing more. DINA glances at her watch, then up at the door.)

MR WOODS: Welcome back everyone, welcome to the new school year, one which will undoubtedly play a crucial role in your future. (notices DINA, looks at her with a withering expression). You're Dina Demiris, I presume?

DINA (brightly): Yes sir.

MR WOODS: You missed a year.

DINA: Yes sir, but…

MR WOODS: I hope you were keeping up with your studies while you were off globetrotting.

DINA: Oh yes, sir. For most of the year I attended an international school in Hong Kong. The standard was really high.

MR WOODS (unimpressed): Delighted to hear it. Still, you can expect this year to be very challenging. I hope that you'll be able to focus on the task ahead of you.

DINA: Absolutely sir.

(The door opens. TOBY and ELIZABETH enter the classroom, hand in hand. They look the same as always. ELIZABETH is whispering something in TOBY's ear and he is smiling. DINA's jaw drops about five feet. They head to their seats, TOBY heading for VERITY's old seat next to ELIZABETH. They see DINA.)

ELIZABETH (brightly, although slightly awkward): Dina! Welcome back! Nice look, very stylish!

TOBY (warmly): Hey Dina, great to have you back!

DINA (speechless, just stares at them).

(The class is proceeding.)

MR WOODS: So if you'll all turn to page 96…

(TOBY's mobile phone beeps, signalling a text message. MR WOODS doesn't hear it over the sound of the class shuffling their books. TOBY takes out his phone and reads it under the desk. The display reads:

' _What the HELL are you doing_?'

ELIZABETH glances at the screen, then looks over her shoulder at DINA. DINA glares at her in reply.

(TOBY hurriedly writes a reply. It reads:

' _I'll explain_.'

(DINA's mobile phone beeps. She takes it out quickly to read the message. This time MR WOODS hears.)

MR WOODS: Who is conducting their social life in my class? Miss Demiris, was that you?

(DINA puts her phone away with a jolt.)

DINA (flustered): Sorry sir, just trying to catch up… with the class.

MR WOODS: If you have any questions about the class, kindly address them to me.

DINA: Yes sir.

(While Mr Woods' back is turned, DINA scribbles a note into her exercise book, scrunches it up into a ball then throws it into TOBY's lap. At that moment, he is saying something inaudible to ELIZABETH. They simultaneously look over their shoulders at DINA. TOBY opens the note. It reads:

' _Explain now._ '

(TOBY sighs and looks at ELIZABETH. Much to DINA's horror, he hands ELIZABETH the note. She reads it, a worried expression on her face, then reaches out her other hand and squeezes Toby's. She is about to give it back to Toby, when MR WOODS pounces.)

MR WOODS (snatching the note out of Elizabeth's hand): What's this?

ELIZABETH: It's nothing sir.

MR WOODS (reading): 'Explain now'. Explain what?

ELIZABETH: Uh… Toby just found the note under his desk, sir. It's very mysterious, so we were just wondering what it meant. It's probably been there for ages. You can see what a state it's in.

TOBY: That's right sir. It's a real mystery.

MR WOODS (unconvinced): I wish you'd show as much interest in today's class as you do in some old piece of paper that someone has scribbled on.

TOBY and ELIZABETH: Yes sir.

MR WOODS: And Elizabeth, can you not do that?

ELIZABETH (looking up innocently): Do what sir?

MR WOODS (with distaste): Stop… stroking Toby Johnson's hand.

(Half the class sniggers, the other half groans. DINA snorts in a kind of half-despair.)

ELIZABETH (quickly removing her hand from Toby's and hiding it under the desk): Sorry sir.

(The class ends and the students file out. TOBY and ELIZABETH, followed by VERITY, RUSS, DINA and SASHA. DINA quickly catches up with TOBY and ELIZABETH in the corridor)

DINA (withering): Well this has been some first day back so far.

TOBY: Sorry Dina, I know this must be a shock for you.

DINA: A shock? You all seem to have gone insane since I've been away. (Turning to ELIZABETH)

What is this? Some kind of parallel universe you've imprisoned the whole school in?

RUSS (butting in): No, she tried that before. This is our regular universe.

ELIZABETH (struggling to remain calm): Dina, you've got every right to be surprised… and upset. I know you have every reason to dislike me. I've always been vile to you.

DINA (sarcastic): Well, you've got that right.

ELIZABETH (taking a deep breath): So I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you.

DINA: What?

ELIZABETH: Err… I said I'm sorry.

DINA (unconvinced): Right. Sorry for making my hair fall out? For trying to frame me as a thief? For nearly killing me at least twice? Or are you just sorry for being an all-round psycho?

(ELIZABETH can't help but smirk a little at this parade of her former achievements.)

ELIZABETH (struggling not to smile): Yes, I really was awful.

DINA: Did you all see her smirking? I knew there was something suspicious going on here!

ELIZABETH (now serious): You're right, Dina. I did smile a little bit. But this is not an act. I'm trying to be nice. I just don't always succeed. But I'm going to start making it up to you, Dina.

DINA: How?

(ELIZABETH remembers something, reaches into her bag, takes out a small Tupperware box, opens the lid and offers it to DINA.)

ELIZABETH: I know it's not much but… would you like a cookie?

DINA (very suspicious): What? No way!

(ELIZABETH shrugs and puts the lid back on the box)

ELIZABETH (quietly aggrieved): They're not poisoned or anything.

DINA: Whatever.

RUSS (intervenes): Elizabeth, if the offer still stands, I'll take one.

ELIZABETH (smiling and reopening the box): Of course, Russ! (RUSS takes cookie and ELIZABETH puts the box away.)

DINA: I see how you've managed to buy some people.

ELIZABETH (hurt): I'm not buying anyone.

DINA (unimpressed): And what's more, we've heard exactly the same story from you in the past.

ELIZABETH: Yes, I know you have. I was lying then. I'm telling the truth now.

DINA: So why should we believe you?

ELIZABETH: Because Toby believes me. (She looks sweetly at him) I don't even take credit for the fact that I've changed. I'd be the same as I was before if it wasn't for Toby. I owe him everything.

(DINA rolls her eyes. ELIZABETH gives TOBY a kind of despairing glance.)

DINA (folds her arms and looks pointedly at TOBY): Well, Toby?

TOBY (reasonable): Look, Dina, I know this seems weird, but a lot has happened since you were last at this school. And we're not under some kind of collective hypnosis, if that's what you're thinking. Elizabeth… Elizabeth is my girlfriend now. (ELIZABETH smiles at TOBY and gives his arm a little squeeze.)

TOBY (continuing): I really believe that she's changed and that she's trying really hard not to be… well the way she was before. You've got to try and give her the benefit of the doubt here.

VERITY: If it's any help, I believe Elizabeth.

SASHA (in a whisper to VERITY): I don't think that's going to convince her.

(DINA looks at TOBY, then at RUSS, SASHA and VERITY. They all look at her rather blankly, but not discouragingly. Then she looks at ELIZABETH, who seems to be wiping a tear from her eye.)

DINA (reluctantly): Ok. If that's what everyone thinks, then I guess I'll have to go along with it.

ELIZABETH (sticking out her hand): Shake on it?

DINA (looks suspiciously at the hand and sighs): Ok.

(They shake hands.)


	3. Chapter 3

(The girls' bathroom. ELIZABETH is looking in the mirror, adjusting her make-up, and VERITY is waiting for her to finish. DINA enters. The set-up resembles a scene from early in the show.)

DINA (sarcastically bright): Hey there, Elizabeth. (in an aside) Hi Verity.

(ELIZABETH looks down slightly and frowns. She composes herself, then turns round to face DINA, an awkward smile on her face.)

ELIZABETH (polite, but slightly exasperated): Hello again.

DINA: Err… hello.

ELIZABETH: Something I can do for you?

DINA (determined): Yes, Elizabeth, listen to me. You can drop this ridiculous act. I don't know how you've done it, but it seems like you've got everyone fooled, even Toby. Or should I say especially Toby.

(ELIZABETH's eyes narrow and she folds her arms, all the time not taking her eyes off DINA)

DINA: Although some sort of congratulations are in order, because you've obviously reached new heights in order to engineer all this.

(ELIZABETH smirks)

ELIZABETH (drily): You're wrong about me, Dina. But thanks for the compliment. I'm sort of touched that you hold my abilities in such high esteem.

DINA: Esteem is not the word I would use.

ELIZABETH (more determined): I suppose it wouldn't be beyond my powers to do what you say I'm doing, although off-hand I don't know exactly how I would. But what you don't seem to get is that I have no motive. If I hurt Toby, I hurt myself. Without Toby, I lose everything. You don't believe that I have Toby's best interests at heart, but surely you believe that I care about my own self-interest.

DINA (in a low voice, closer to ELIZABETH): As for Toby's best interests, you've always claimed to know what he wants, but really it's all about what you want him to be. You're a total control freak, admit it.

ELIZABETH (more earnest): In the past that was true. And he was right to be angry with me and fight against me. But now he knows I'm genuine. (coolly) Go and ask him.

DINA: I don't think that conversation would be very productive right now.

ELIZABETH (scowling): Because you can't bear to hear him tell you how good we are to each other. (pauses, then continues in a low voice) Dina, believe me, I know all about jealousy. And anger… And hatred… And refusing to face facts. It's very bad for the soul.

DINA: Oh, you have one of those do you?

(ELIZABETH looks at the ground, breathes deeply, then looks back at DINA, a cold look on her face)

ELIZABETH (quiet, but menacing): You know, there's nothing stopping me from going back to how I was before. I even came up with a device that would force me to behave. I asked Toby to use it on me, but he wouldn't, because he trusts me. And I intend to keep it that way. So I keep myself in line. Reign in my instincts, which are still there, just below the surface, trying to get out. But I won't let them. I want to be a good person. (pauses) But if I'm attacked, I will have to fight back. Do you understand me, Dina?

DINA (intimidated, but somehow satisfied): I knew you hadn't really changed. Now all I have to do is to find out what it is exactly that you're doing and expose you. When I'm done with you, Toby won't even want to wipe his shoes on you.

(DINA turns to leave. ELIZABETH leans back against the wash basins behind her, seemingly drained by the encounter)

ELIZABETH (calling after her): You're not listening to me, Dina! You can't expose me because I haven't done anything! Now who thinks they know what's best for Toby? Be careful, Dina.

(The bathroom door slams shut)

VERITY (shocked): What did you just do?

ELIZABETH: What? I told her the truth.

VERITY: Why did you threaten her?

ELIZABETH: I didn't. It was a statement of fact. She's going to try and break up me and Toby. I can't let her do that. Nobody in my position would.

VERITY: Yeah ok, but don't you think she's going to go straight to Toby and tell him that you threatened her, that you told her how any minute you could go back to being mean?

ELIZABETH: Toby knows that already. (daydreaming) He knows everything about me.

VERITY: Was that true that you invented some device to control you?

ELIZABETH: Yes. Over the holiday. And I did offer it to Toby. (smiles) But he found a better way to make sure I behave myself.

VERITY: Ok, but shouldn't you speak to Toby about this or something?

ELIZABETH (snapping out of reverie): Yes. You're right. I'd better go.

(ELIZABETH rushes out of the bathroom).

(DINA hurriedly crossing the school grounds, RAUL is coming towards her from the car park.)

RAUL: Hey Dina!

DINA (flustered): What are you doing here?

RAUL: Just surprising you, if that's ok.

DINA: Of course it's ok!

RAUL (concerned): You all right? You seem a bit upset.

DINA: I am to be honest.

RAUL: First day back not quite what you expected?

DINA: I should say! It's like I've woken up in a nightmare!

RAUL: What happened?

DINA: Well, what would you do if all of a sudden the most despicable girl in school has not only convinced all your friends that she's really a nice person after all, but also she's dating your best friend?

RAUL (slightly amused, but hiding it): Sounds quite disturbing.

DINA: It is disturbing!

RAUL: And you think she's got everyone fooled.

DINA: I know she has. I just tried to have it out with her.

RAUL: And?

DINA: She was really tricky. Saying nothing to incriminate herself, but at the same time making all these veiled threats that I shouldn't provoke her.

RAUL: And what are you going to do?

DINA: Find a way of exposing her. Or of making her expose herself.

RAUL: I'm guessing that this person is kind of dangerous.

DINA: Very dangerous. Nearly homicidally dangerous.

RAUL (smiling to himself): That bad?

DINA (noticing his smile): Seriously. If I told you some of the things she tried to do to me, to all of us. She's a complete sociopath.

RAUL (serious): In that case, she's going to take some working on.

DINA: Tell me about it. And the worst part is that I have no allies. It's like she's got everyone believing her.

RAUL: I could be your ally.

DINA: Could you?

RAUL: Sure. (serious) I take it when you said she's dating your best friend, you meant Toby.

DINA (worried that she might have hurt his feelings): Uh… Yeah.

RAUL: Don't look like that. I don't mind. I'm just trying to understand the bigger picture. So why would this girl – what did you say her name was?

DINA: Elizabeth.

RAUL: Right. So this Elizabeth, why is she so interested in Toby? Surely they're a complete mismatch?

DINA: Oh she's always been completely obsessed with him. They have this connection.

RAUL (interested): Connection? What do you mean?

DINA (hesitant): Err… It's hard to explain. It's like in some ways they're on the same… wavelength, only Toby is good and she's bad.

RAUL (doubtful): I see.

DINA: Anyway, the point is that she's really twisted and devious. And powerful.

RAUL: Powerful?

DINA: Yeah.

RAUL: Sounds like this is going to take some thought and planning.

DINA: Well, I was just on my way to speak to Toby actually.

RAUL: I wouldn't do that right now.

DINA: Why not?

RAUL: You'd be showing your hand too soon. You've already shown it to Elizabeth. She'll be strengthening her defences already.

DINA (starting to leave): Well, then shouldn't I…?

(He catches her arm)

RAUL: We'll need to work on this from another angle. Stealth is what we need.

DINA: Ok. (She glances at her watch) I'm late for class. I'd better go.

RAUL: We'll talk about this tonight. You're still coming over, right?

DINA (smiling): Sure.

RAUL: One more thing: would you mind if I spoke to Eva about this? I know that she had some experience of sick, devious girls when she was at school.

DINA: Ok, that'd be great. (She kisses him and runs away into the school).

(ELIZABETH crossing another part of the school grounds. A red-headed young woman coming in the other direction brushes past her.)

ELIZABETH (obviously stressed): Hey watch where you're going!

WOMAN (conciliatory): Sorry. That was my fault.

ELIZABETH (somewhat placated): Err.. ok. Forget about it.

(The WOMAN leaves and ELIZABETH continues across the grounds, nearing the car park. She sees TOBY and waves to him)

ELIZABETH: Toby!

(TOBY stops, waves back and waits for ELIZABETH to catch him up. She comes up to him and wraps her arms around his neck, a worried expression on her face.)

TOBY (concerned): Hey! You ok?

ELIZABETH: Sorry. Yes, I'm fine. (lays her head on his shoulder) Mind if I just stay here for a moment?

TOBY (ruffling her hair): Sure. So what's wrong?

ELIZABETH (lifting her head and composing herself): I just spoke to Dina.

TOBY: Ah.

ELIZABETH (upset): She doesn't believe me. She thinks this is all an act.

TOBY: Well, we always knew that Dina would be the hardest person to convince.

ELIZABETH: I know she has no reason to trust me. And I know I'm the only one to blame for that. It's just a bit dispiriting, you know? Just when I was starting to feel that your friends were starting to like me, now I have to start all over again.

TOBY: No, it's not that bad. I know for a fact that Sasha and Russ have warmed up to you. Sasha's a pretty perceptive person and Russ… Well I know he's a big fan of your cookies.

ELIZABETH (smiles): Yeah, I noticed. (serious again). But now Dina's going to try and convince them that I'm lying. (pauses) She's going to try and convince _you_ that I'm lying.

TOBY (strokes her cheek): Maybe, but I know that you're not.

(ELIZABETH smiles and plants a little kiss on him)

ELIZABETH: Thing is, she wasn't very nice, and I was feeling a bit provoked, so I told her everything.

TOBY: What do you mean 'everything'?

ELIZABETH: I told her how hard it is for me not to give in to my instincts and how it would be better if she didn't try to provoke me too much.

TOBY (worried): That kind of sounds like you threatened her.

ELIZABETH: Well, put it this way: say you met a recovering alcoholic. You wouldn't just go and buy them a drink, would you?

TOBY: I see your point, but I'm not sure it was a good idea. What you're saying is that you're going to fight her.

ELIZABETH: I would be fighting for you, Toby. But it would be a last resort. It needn't come to actual fighting. Anyway, Dina shouldn't have taken what I said as a threat. If anything it was an admission of weakness.

TOBY (thinking out loud): Yeah. You showed her exactly what she needs to do to get at you. You really have changed. The old Elizabeth would never have done that.

ELIZABETH (pensive): Yes, I suppose that's true.

TOBY: I should speak to her, stop this before it gets out of hand.

ELIZABETH (holding onto him more tightly): Toby, I don't want you to argue with Dina. I don't want to come between you and your friends. You couldn't be happy with the kind of girl who does that.

(TOBY smiles at her.)

ELIZABETH: I have to think of a way of making Dina see that I'm genuine.

(She suddenly hyperfunctions)

ELIZABETH (looking up and smiling): Got it!

TOBY: You thought of a way to convince her?

ELIZABETH: Yes. (with sudden enthusiasm) Isn't it great that I'm starting to have ideas that are about being nice to people?!

TOBY (smiling): Yeah. It is.

ELIZABETH: I have to get working. Get Dina and ask her to come to my lab.

TOBY: Uh… I don't think she's going to accept an invitation to come to your lab.

ELIZABETH: No, of course not. You have to come with her.

TOBY: Ok, but are you sure your plan's going to work?

ELIZABETH (more serious): Honestly I don't know. But I have to try.

(She kisses him, then leaves)

(The school car park. We see the WOMAN who bumped into Elizabeth reappear and get into the passenger seat of RAUL's car. RAUL is at the wheel. He is watching TOBY in the wing mirror.)

EVA: Worked, did it?

(Turning to look at her)

RAUL: Yeah. Very interesting. (points to electronic device in the open glove compartment) Got the whole thing recorded. They're a lovely couple, I have to admit.

EVA: Is that right? Pity to break them up then?

RAUL: Oh no. Things could get really messy. And I've got every hope that they will.

EVA (smiles): So you think he's the other genius?

RAUL: Oh yeah. Dina told me that Toby and Elizabeth have a 'connection'. Only he's good and she's bad.

EVA: Hang on, is Elizabeth bad or good at the moment?

RAUL: I think she's genuinely trying to be good. Either that or she's acting out of her skin. Meaning she's so twisted that she'll be hard to control. But Toby here's right: she just made a huge mistake telling Dina that the slightest provocation could turn her bad again.

EVA: Unless that's part of her plan: to discredit Dina by making her go on the offensive.

RAUL: I don't know. If she's that smart she should be running rings around this lot.

EVA (looking at TOBY as he walks away back towards the school): Which would make the other genius even smarter.

RAUL: Doesn't look like much of a threat, does he?

EVA: Not really. I suppose in an ideal world, if he's the bigger genius, we should be trying to get him.

RAUL: Yeah, but we don't live in an ideal world. Not yet. (pauses) No, Elizabeth is genius enough for us and she's going to be much easier to corrupt. She's said it herself: her new-found conscience is hanging by a thread. Get Toby away from her and we'll have someone who fits in with us very nicely.

(EVA smiles and runs her hand along RAUL's leg suggestively. He reaches out his hand and stops her.)

RAUL: Not now. Maybe later. (smiles) When all the children have gone to bed. (Remembers something) Oh, more good news: Elizabeth is planning to invite Dina into her lab. She's there right now working on some invention that's going make Dina 'see that she's genuine'.

EVA: Excellent. Did you prepare Dina already?

RAUL: Yeah. That was forward planning, eh? Fitted the camera this morning.

EVA: Elizabeth must have security in place. She might find it when Dina goes into her lab.

RAUL: Maybe. But we win either way. First of all, I reckon that's Elizabeth's complacent, so she may well have allowed her security to lapse. In which case, we'll be able to have a good look around her place. If, on the other hand, her security detects the hidden camera, guess who she's most likely to suspect?

EVA (smiling): Toby.

RAUL: Exactly. (starts up the car). So staying out of sight is our strongest weapon for the time being.

(They drive off)


	4. Chapter 4

(DINA and SASHA are sitting on the bleachers in the school grounds)

DINA: So do you think I'm being too hard on Elizabeth?

SASHA: I think you could give her the benefit of the doubt.

DINA: Do you really think she's changed?

SASHA: I don't know exactly. But as far as I know, she hasn't put a foot wrong since she and Toby got together. And she's been round Toby's a lot, so I've seen her up close quite a bit. Amazing as it seems, they actually seem like quite a cute couple.

DINA: Look, I know Elizabeth has always had a crush on Toby and that a lot of what she does is out of jealousy. But what she really wants is to _control_ Toby.

SASHA: Yeah, she has a problem with control. (laughs) Did you know that last year, she imprisoned Toby in a kind of parallel universe where they were a couple? She had every little detail worked out for poor Toby. He was going crazy in there. She kept making him repeat the same day in the hope that she would beat him into submission.

DINA: Yeah, I heard something about that. But how can he have such a short memory?

SASHA: Well, he's always had a weakness for Elizabeth.

DINA: I know. See, that's his Achilles heel. And she knows it.

SASHA (continuing train of thought): Or there was this other time when she trapped him in some Wild West virtual reality. Although to be honest, I had the impression that he rather enjoyed that one.

DINA (thinking): Her schemes seem to be getting more and more sophisticated. Which makes me all the more worried that we're right in the middle of one now. The most sophisticated one of them all.

SASHA: I don't know. It's possible, I admit. But do you really think Toby could be fooled?

DINA: I don't know. That's what I've got to find out.

(SASHA looks up, having seen someone approaching. It's TOBY)

SASHA: Hey Toby! What's up?

(DINA looks around)

TOBY: Uh… I was looking for Dina.

DINA (slightly awkward): What can I do for you, Toby?

TOBY: Um… there's something I want to show you.

DINA: What it is?

TOBY: Well, I wanted to ask you to come with me to Elizabeth's lab.

DINA (throws hands up in shock): Elizabeth's lab? Why would I want to go there?

TOBY: She's working on something she hopes is going to make you see she's genuine.

DINA: Right. She's got something lined up to brainwash me too, is that it? A hallucinogenic cookie, maybe?

TOBY (annoyed): It's not like that.

DINA: Then what is it?

TOBY: I don't know exactly. But I'm going to be there too. Even if you can't trust Elizabeth, you can trust me.

DINA: And if anything suspicious happens, you'll protect me?

TOBY: Yes. I will.

(DINA looks at SASHA, who gives her a vaguely encouraging look)

DINA: Ok then.

TOBY: Great.

(They leave together)

(DINA and TOBY in the school, near the hologram entrance to ELIZABETH's lab)

DINA: So Elizabeth's lab's not in the basement anymore, right?

TOBY: No, she moved it to the clock tower last year.

DINA: And is that right it got smashed by a giant koala or something?

TOBY (slightly worried): Yeah, that's right. Just out of curiosity, where did you hear that?

DINA: Russ told me today.

TOBY (relieved): Oh right. That's good. I thought for a second you might have seen it on the news or something.

DINA: Was it on the news?

TOBY (recounting excitedly): No, we wiped everyone's memories before word got out. So when they found the glass roof of the clock tower smashed, everyone thought it must have caved in of its own accord and they had it replaced. We had to hide all of Elizabeth's stuff, but that was easy enough.

DINA: Hang on. Wiped everyone's memories?

TOBY: Yeah, Elizabeth has this device that…

DINA: Wipes people's memories. I get it. So you did this together?

TOBY: Yeah, we had to. Took a whole evening to cover the whole of Sandy Bay. Had to do it street by street pretty much.

DINA: A romantic walk in the moonlight was it, just the two of you?

TOBY (embarrassed): Uh, it wasn't like that.

DINA: But you saved Elizabeth from this koala, right?

TOBY: That's right. (serious) You're not going to tell me I shouldn't have, are you?

DINA: Toby, I would never say something like that. If Elizabeth was in real danger, of course you had to help her. I don't like her, but I don't want her to die or anything like that.

(They pass through the hologram into the lift. They are granted access. The lift opens into ELIZABETH's lab, which looks more or less as it did before. ELIZABETH is working alone. She looks up as they enter.)

ELIZABETH (friendly): Come on in!

(TOBY walks calmly over to ELIZABETH and kisses her on the cheek. DINA walks in more circumspectly, looking around.)

ELIZABETH: Thanks for coming, Dina.

DINA (still suspicious): That's all right.

TOBY: So Elizabeth, what have you invented?

(ELIZABETH holds up what looks like a USB stick and hands it to TOBY)

ELIZABETH (speaking more to TOBY): Well, like I told you, I wanted something that could help Dina to understand that I'm not a liar. Some evidence that she could see with her own eyes.

TOBY (looking at the stick): And what's on here?

ELIZABETH (brightly): My memories. Or rather, a selection of them.

TOBY (goes to hand the stick back to ELIZABETH): Interesting.

ELIZABETH: No. Give it to Dina.

(Toby obliges. DINA takes the stick gingerly.)

ELIZABETH (pointing to some machinery on the table): This little machine I made extracts memories. So I made a selection of them, starting from when you saved my life. Then I compressed them and put them on the USB stick. Funnily enough, memories don't take up all that much memory.

(DINA smiles ruefully)

ELIZABETH (to DINA): You can watch them on your computer. Hopefully they'll make you see me in a different light.

TOBY (to ELIZABETH): Hey, Elizabeth, there isn't anything…?

ELIZABETH (laughs knowingly): Don't worry Toby, there's nothing too _intimate_ on there. Dina doesn't want to see that. Anyway, those memories are private. (comes up close to TOBY) But you're free to watch whichever memories you like. In fact, it would be good if you did, so you can compare notes with Dina to confirm that I haven't been cheating.

TOBY (smiles awkwardly): Well ok. This is pretty weird though.

DINA: I'll say!

ELIZABETH (to TOBY): Do you have a better idea?

TOBY: No. We could try this. (to DINA) What do you say?

DINA: All right then. I'll have a look this evening. But if it all gets too weird, I'm turning it off.

TOBY (to DINA): Thanks.

DINA: Can I go now?

ELIZABETH (going to some shelves): One more thing.

(She rummages through the shelves, knocking over Toby's hi-tech polymer vivo interface suits in the process.)

TOBY: Hey, I forgot I lent those to you.

ELIZABETH (picking them up): You can take them back if you want. I ran all the checks I wanted on them. I could even make some back-ups if you like: I have the blueprint.

TOBY: No, I don't need them at the moment.

ELIZABETH (putting the suits back on the shelf): Ok.

DINA (coming closer): What are they?

TOBY (going to the shelf): Oh yeah, you won't have seen these before – I invented them last year. They're polymer vivo interface suits.

DINA: Meaning?

TOBY: You put on the suit and you can transform yourself to look exactly like anyone you want.

DINA: Really?

TOBY: You want a demo?

DINA: Uh… why not?

(TOBY quickly puts on the suit and transforms himself into RUSS)

DINA: Wow!

ELIZABETH: You see, Dina, Toby and I really upped our game last year.

DINA: Yeah, which is rather worrying.

(TOBY takes the suit off and puts it back on the shelf. Meanwhile ELIZABETH finds what she was looking for: it's a small key)

ELIZABETH: Dina, this is for you. (Hands her the key)

DINA: What is it?

ELIZABETH: It's a key to my lab.

DINA (surprised): Really?

ELIZABETH: Really. It's a question of trust.

DINA: Um… Ok. I don't think I'll be coming up here much. But thanks.

(Hesitantly she puts the key in her pocket.)

DINA: Well, I should probably be going.

TOBY (looks at watch): Yeah, I have a class too. Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH: I've just got a couple of things to finish off here. I'll catch you later.

TOBY: Ok.

(Hi kisses her goodbye and TOBY and DINA leave)

(ELIZABETH watches TOBY fondly as he leaves her lab. Then suddenly she hyperfunctions.

ELIZABETH (mysterious): Excellent!


	5. Chapter 5

(A grainy video recording of what we recognise as ELIZABETH's disastrous press conference with the T-rex from the final episode of Season 1. The image fades in and out, eventually cutting out altogether. But we see ELIZABETH unveil the dinosaur and demonstrate its intelligence. The image pans out to show RAUL and EVA watching the footage on a laptop in their house.)

EVA: I liked her more when she was like that.

RAUL: Yeah. She's more like how Dina described her: 'nearly homicidally dangerous'.

(They both laugh)

EVA: Just imagine how useful someone like that would be for us.

RAUL: I know. This country won't know what hit it. To begin with I was thinking of hacking, sabotage, stuff like that, but now, what with virtual reality, body switching suits and who knows what else, the possibilities for chaos are almost endless.

EVA: Yeah, but don't forget that they're both geniuses. We'll have to be really careful with Toby.

RAUL: That's right, but I figure that once we have Elizabeth on our side, we'll let her deal with him. Have you worked out all the details?

EVA (grins evilly): Oh yes. As soon as I saw the body switching suits, it all became crystal clear.

RAUL: Yeah, we've got to get our hands on them.

(They hear a knock at the door)

RAUL: That'll be Dina. Hopefully with some more interesting viewing material for us.

(He goes to answer the door. It is DINA).

DINA (to RAUL): Hi. (kisses him). Hi Eva!

EVA (from the other end of the room): Hi Dina! How was your first day back?

DINA: Weird. Did Raul tell you?

EVA: Yeah, he told me, but he's a guy, so he wasn't able to give me much detail. But I hear some psycho girl has got her claws into your best friend.

DINA: Yeah. To be honest I don't know what to think.

RAUL (surprised): She convinced you she's genuine?

DINA: Not exactly. I mean I'm not sure either way. (sighs) It's so complicated. I have to admit that she seemed sort of nice just now. And everyone else really seems to be giving her a chance.

(RAUL looks with intent at EVA)

EVA: Wait a second. Just because everyone else believes her, doesn't mean you have to. Base yourself on how she behaves towards you. (pause) How is she behaving towards you?

DINA: Outwardly friendly, but with little subtle hints not to annoy her.

EVA: Ah I see.

DINA: Anyway, maybe this will make things a bit clearer. (She takes the USB stick out of her pocket and holds it up.)

RAUL: What it is?

DINA: It's her… (realises that she mustn't actually explain) It's some recordings of her, which she says might help me to believe her.

EVA: Sounds a bit strange.

DINA: Well… maybe.

RAUL: You should watch them. Now, if you like.

DINA: Well I was thinking that I should probably…

RAUL: On your own, of course. You can watch them on the laptop here. Eva and I will go and get dinner ready. Right, Eva?

EVA: Sure. Tell us if you see anything you think is really significant and we can think about what to do about it.

DINA: Thanks. That'd be great.

(RAUL sets up the laptop for her, then joins EVA in the kitchen. DINA starts to watch the memories, which fill the picture so that it is as if we are watching them too.)

(Scene: ELIZABETH is looking darkly into the mirror in her bedroom, as if she is scrutinising herself very hard and not liking what she sees in the reflection. For a moment she looks down and examines her hands, then looks back sadly into the glass. A tear runs down her cheek.

She steps brusquely away from the mirror and sits down quickly at her writing desk. She takes out a piece of paper and starts to write. She gets as far as 'Dear Toby, How can I…' then screws up the piece of paper and pushes it away. She puts her head in her hands and seems to start crying, but we can't see her face.

After a few moments, she appears to hyperfunction. She lets out a little groan of pain, then looks up. Her face is smeared with tears but she seems bleakly determined. She tears off another piece of paper and starts writing mathematical formulae and programming code with frenzied determination.

(Scene: ELIZABETH's lab, the shattered glass roof all over the floor. ELIZABETH is working on an invention. She looks pale and disordered, as if she hasn't been sleeping well. Her laptop is linked up to a small device, which is in turn linked by wires that lead up into her hair, presumably attached somehow to her head. She types a command into her laptop. Almost instantly she winces in pain, holding her head then rubbing her arms, as if they are aching. She types adjustments into her laptop, then types a command. This time the pain is obviously greater, because she nearly screams in pain. Then she starts typing again.

(Scene: Night. ELIZABETH walks slowly and sadly through the dark and empty corridors of Sandy Bay High School.)

(Scene: ELIZABETH is sitting at the writing desk in her bedroom. The blinds are down and she has the same sleepless, haunted look. She stares absently into space, while her hand plays with a small device like a microchip, pushing it back and forward on the desk in front of her.

Suddenly, there is a noise like someone knocking loudly at the front door. She looks around in bewilderment, but otherwise doesn't move. After a few moments there is a second knock at the door, this time even louder. She gets up, puts the microchip into a little box on the bookcase then goes cautiously out of her room, down the stairs and up to the front door. From the glimpses we see of her house it seems empty and untidy. She looks through the net curtain on the glass door then quickly opens it. TOBY is standing outside.)

TOBY: Elizabeth! So you're alive after all.

ELIZABETH (slightly dazed): What?

TOBY: You haven't been answering your phone. People have been worried about you.

ELIZABETH: I doubt that.

TOBY: Well… I've been worried about you.

ELIZABETH (brighter): Have you?

TOBY: Yeah, I have. After that night with the… well you know what, you just disappeared. I even spoke to Verity. She said she came here and knocked on the door but no one answered.

ELIZABETH: Yeah I know. I couldn't face seeing her. I'll tell her I'm sorry when I see her.

TOBY: But you opened the door to me.

ELIZABETH: You're different.

TOBY: Can I come in or are we going to talk on the street?

ELIZABETH (opening the door wider and beckoning him inside): No, let's not talk on the street.

(ELIZABETH leads TOBY vacantly into the living room. The room is dusty and silent, as if no one has been in there for a while.)

TOBY (looking round, slightly concerned): Is your mother here?

ELIZABETH: She's been on holiday for the last few weeks. I didn't go with her. It's much better this way.

TOBY: So what have you been doing in here?

ELIZABETH: Well, I have a lot to think about, don't you reckon?

TOBY: Yeah, I guess you do…

ELIZABETH (thinking out loud): You've never been to my house before. (pause) I wasn't sure you even knew where it was.

TOBY: Oh I knew. But it was kind a case of know your…

ELIZABETH (sighing): Enemy. Toby, I'm not your… (pauses) I never really have been. I was just…

TOBY: I know, Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH (sad): I was going to say: completely stupid. The most stupid so-called genius there ever was.

(TOBY reaches out and touches her arm.)

TOBY: Hey. Maybe we don't have to go back there.

ELIZABETH (in a low voice): I'm not out of there.

(At this point DINA's concentration is disturbed by EVA popping her head round the door. DINA quickly switches off the images.)

EVA: Dina? Dinner's ready.

DINA (awkward): Oh ok! Be right with you!

(She sits back in the chair thoughtfully. She goes to switch on the images again then stops, looking at the black screen. She sits in silence for a few moments, then gets up and goes into the other room to eat.)

(RAUL, EVA and DINA are sitting round the kitchen table eating dinner.)

RAUL: How's it going in there?

DINA (hesitant): Interesting.

RAUL: She convinced you?

DINA: Not exactly. It's just I've never seen her act like this before. I've never seen her so close to seeming sincere.

EVA (to RAUL): She sounds like Vanessa Benedetti.

(RAUL laughs derisively)

DINA: Who's Vanessa Benedetti?

EVA (sarcastic): Raul's childhood sweetheart.

(RAUL laughs louder)

RAUL: I don't think that's what I'd call her.

EVA: Oh, why not? Ok, your first love then. You have to admit that you were in love with her. Even after she'd trampled you into the dust a few times.

RAUL (slightly irritated): Does Dina have to hear about this?

EVA: She should. From what I've heard, this Elizabeth is a regular Vanessa Benedetti. Is she blonde by any chance?

DINA: She is actually.

EVA: That settles it. It all fits. Dina, Vanessa was a girl at our school. You could say she had a reputation for being an evil bitch. You know: vindictive, manipulating, and the rest. But she set her sights on poor Raul here. She said that she was attracted by his goodness. She said that liking him changed her, made her want to be good. I told him he must be crazy, but he wouldn't listen. He said he felt a kind of _connection_ with her.

(DINA glances at RAUL. He gives her a significant look by way of reply.)

EVA (continuing): So you went out, how long, a year?

RAUL (bashful): A year and two months in total.

EVA: During which time she had everybody convinced that she had changed, Raul in particular. And all the while she was subtly cutting him off from his friends and - get this - stealing money from him… and also, so it turned out in the end, cheating on him with two other guys. And he still took her back!

DINA: Really?

RAUL (cringing): I was really young. And really naive. I have no problem admitting that.

EVA: Wait, you haven't heard the best part. In the end of course, she dumped him. And then, a few months later Raul started going out with this other girl. She was really well suited to Raul and also a very close friend of mine. Anyway, this girl's walking home one night and some guy robs her and beats her up. Puts her in the hospital. Next day, Raul gets this note sent to him. It said: ' _It's too soon for you to be over me_.'

DINA (visibly shocked): Oh my goodness.

EVA: Now you can see why we're taking this problem of yours so seriously.

DINA: Well, you've really given me something to think about.

RAUL: Of course, Elizabeth may not be the same as Vanessa.

DINA: Well, she's certainly done some pretty nasty things in the past.

(DINA gets up suddenly from the dinner table.)

DINA: Do you mind if I go back in there and finish watching? I'm sorry. The food is really nice, but I've sort of lost my appetite.

EVA: It's no problem. You need to see how it ends.

DINA (distant, determined): Yeah. We'll see how it ends. (She leaves the room).

EVA: Who'd have thought that Vanessa Benedetti would ever be useful to us?

RAUL: Oh, I owe her a lot. Taught me a lot of what I know about human nature.

EVA: I taught you the rest.

RAUL (smiles at her): Yes, the most important things. Nice touch, by the way, the bit about Vanessa arranging for _you_ to get mugged.

EVA (laughs): Yeah. As if she'd have had the guts to so something like that.

RAUL: And what's funny is that she really thought she was a smart operator. Like this Elizabeth.

EVA: I'll never forget the look on her face when she came back to school after leaving hospital. I wonder if she ever got over it.

RAUL (bitterly): I'll tell you, if this Elizabeth turns out to be like Vanessa, I'm really going to enjoy putting her in her place.


	6. Chapter 6

(The bungalow. TOBY, RUSS and SASHA are hanging out. TOBY and SASHA are watching TV, RUSS is wandering around, looking at the equipment strewn about Toby's room.)

RUSS: Toby, have you been really busy or something? Seems like there's twice as much as stuff here as before.

TOBY (looking up from the television): Oh, some of it belongs to Elizabeth. She lent me some of her inventions so I could analyse them, to see if I wanted to borrow any of her ideas. Some of my stuff's over at her lab too.

RUSS (slightly doubtful): Borrow her ideas?

TOBY: Yeah. It's an exchange of scientific knowhow.

SASHA: Yeah, and that's not all you two have been exchanging.

TOBY (pretending to be offended): Hey! (more earnest) It's not quite like that. (gestures at random equipment) It's more of an intellectual connection at the moment.

RUSS: Yeah right. She's all over you, man.

TOBY: We're taking things slowly. You can't just forget the past. And that goes for both me and Elizabeth.

SASHA: You mean you haven't made up your mind about her 100%?

TOBY: Well, I suppose the genius part in me has a tendency to keep over-analysing things. And you heard her yourself: being nice doesn't exactly come naturally to her.

RUSS: Yeah, that's slightly worrying.

(A knock at the door. TOBY jumps up to answer it. It is ELIZABETH. She kisses him on the cheek and comes in.)

ELIZABETH: Hi!

RUSS and SASHA (slightly awkward): Hi Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH: Something the matter?

TOBY: No, not at all. Just hanging out.

ELIZABETH: Ok. Mind if I hang out with you?

TOBY: Of course. Make some room on the sofa there guys.

SASHA: Actually, Russ and I were just leaving. Eh, Russ?

RUSS: Were we?… Oh yeah.

SASHA: You two probably want to be on your own.

TOBY (awkward): Err…

ELIZABETH (opening her bag): Wait, don't go. I have something for you.

SASHA (surprised): Really?

(ELIZABETH takes a biscuit tin out of her bag.)

ELIZABETH: I just baked a new batch.

RUSS (pouncing on them): Excellent!

ELIZABETH (continuing to look through her bag): And just in case you don't get to eat any of them, I got you this. (takes out a book and hands it to SASHA). It's that vampire novel I was telling you about.

SASHA (leafing through the book): What, vampires versus the Inquisition?

ELIZABETH: That's the one. It's really grisly too. No nice vampires. No sexy vampires. No romance. Just cover to cover unsentimental gore.

SASHA (touched): Thanks, Elizabeth, that's really nice of you.

TOBY (smiling and putting his arm around ELIZABETH): See, what did I tell you? Elizabeth's a nice, gentle person.

ELIZABETH (pretending to be offended): Are you making fun of me, Toby Johnson? Would you prefer it if I was into handsome vampires seducing innocent young girls?

TOBY: No, no, you can stick to the ugly, psychopathic ones.

ELIZABETH: Anyway, you'd better behave yourself or you won't be getting your present.

(RUSS and SASHA cackle at this.)

TOBY: Uh, didn't you two say that you were going?

SASHA (smiling): Yeah. Come on, Russ.

RUSS (through a mouthful of cookie): Do you mind if I…?

SASHA: Go on… bring the cookies with you.

(SASHA and RUSS leave.)

TOBY (intrigued): So, what was that about a present?

ELIZABETH (going back to her bag): Patience, Toby. I have it right here in my bag. Close your eyes.

(TOBY hesitates for a moment, then closes them. ELIZABETH removes a small vial of black liquid from her bag, takes TOBY's hand and places the vial in his outstretched palm. TOBY opens his eyes and looks quizzically at the vial.)

TOBY: What is it?

ELIZABETH: It's a special kind of ink. It reacts to the signals in your brain that create mental pictures. If you pour out a little, the ink arranges itself into whatever you're thinking of.

TOBY: You just invented this?

ELIZABETH: Came up with it this afternoon. It's adjusted to react to your thoughts only. So only you can use it.

TOBY (nonchalantly): So when I think about you, the ink will form itself into a picture of you. Is that right?

ELIZABETH (smiling): Yeah it will, but that's not why I gave it to you.

TOBY: No?

ELIZABETH. You can see my face whenever you want, Toby. No, I thought it would be useful for when you're thinking about people you can't see – like your mother. Why don't you try it?

TOBY (serious): Ok. (He goes and takes a sheet of blank white paper, unfurls it on the table, then pours a few drops of the ink. In about ten seconds, the ink rearranges itself into a realistic drawing of TOBY's mother. He looks at the picture in silence for a while. Then the ink rearranges itself back into random drops on the page. TOBY gets up and gives ELIZABETH a big hug.)

TOBY (quietly): It's an amazing present. Thanks.

ELIZABETH: Don't mention it.

TOBY: Thing is, I don't have anything for you.

ELIZABETH: You know that you don't have to…

TOBY (interrupting): But I want to. Thing is, how can I match this? (TOBY suddenly hyperfunctions. He smiles.) Wait there. This won't take long. Sit down and make yourself comfortable.

(ELIZABETH obeys. TOBY takes the vial and starts to run some tests on it in his home lab, separating out a part of the ink and adding various substances to it. He is soon finished and returns with a second vial containing a bluish-black liquid.)

TOBY (shows ELIZABETH the vial): Here. I've adapted it slightly. I thought of a very specific use for it.

ELIZABETH (intrigued): Ok!

TOBY: Take off your cardigan.

ELIZABETH: Toby!

TOBY: Go on! I want to show you something.

(She takes off her cardigan. She has a short-sleeved top on underneath.)

TOBY: Now, stay still. (He dips his finger into the ink.)

ELIZABETH: What are you doing?

TOBY: This. (Taking hold of her elbow with one hand, he dabs the ink onto her upper arm with the tip of his finger. When he has finished, the ink daub rearranges itself into the words 'Toby Johnson' in small, neat letters on her arm. ELIZABETH looks down and touches the inscription with her finger. The words don't smear or change in any way.)

ELIZABETH: Toby, I….

TOBY (pleased with himself): I rearranged its molecular structure so that it stays fixed in the form I tell it to. And because it still obeys my thought patterns, only I can remove it. (ELIZABETH runs her finger more vigorously over the writing, but it remains unchanged, as if it were a real tattoo.) I can take it off if you want.

ELIZABETH (softly): No. Don't do that.

(TOBY sits down on the sofa next to her.)

TOBY: So you like it?

(ELIZABETH kisses him hard on the lips.)

TOBY: So what shall we do this evening?

ELIZABETH (reaching into her bag and taking out another USB stick): I brought my memories round. Did you want to watch them?

TOBY (smiling): Who could refuse an offer like that?

ELIZABETH (connecting the USB stick to TOBY's computer): I'm just going to fast forward to the best parts.

(She sits down next to TOBY and they begin to watch the images.)

(Scene: TOBY and ELIZABETH in ELIZABETH's house – the same scene that DINA was watching previously)

ELIZABETH (sad): I was going to say: completely stupid. The most stupid so-called genius there ever was.

(TOBY reaches out and touches her arm.)

TOBY: Hey. Maybe we don't have to go back there.

ELIZABETH (in a low voice): I'm not out of there.

(They sit down on the sofa.)

TOBY: But are you ok?

ELIZABETH (shrugging): I'm as ok as I have any right to be.

TOBY (awkward): Are you going to... you know, come outside again? See people, hang out?

ELIZABETH (sad): Who am I going to hang out with? Who wants to hang out with me?

TOBY: Well... I would.

ELIZABETH: Would you? What would your friends say?

TOBY: It doesn't matter. We would work it out. (softer) Don't you think that things would be different?

ELIZABETH (pensive): Well, they would have to be. I would have to be. I can't go on the way I was before.

TOBY (awkward): I don't know if you heard... (sighs) Jack and Nikki have left Sandy Bay.

ELIZABETH (smiles slightly): I won't pretend I'm not pleased to hear that. But I'm sorry for you. It must be pretty painful for you to see Nikki leave.

TOBY: It's not like that. (pause) It was probably for the best that she left. We didn't exactly part on friendly terms.

ELIZABETH: Toby, you don't have to say anything. It's not really my business. (takes a deep breath) I mean, if Nikki wants to...

TOBY (interrupting): Elizabeth… all that stuff with Nikki… and Jack… it's in the past now.

ELIZABETH: Toby, it's not about them. Or about you. It's about me.

TOBY: What do you mean?

ELIZABETH: If I can't control myself, I'll ruin everything again. Your genius didn't change how you are. But mine did. It's like it's wired up to every negative thought I have. I want to control everything around me, even you, or especially you, because I can't control this thing in my head. It makes me crazy, Toby.

TOBY (reaching out his hand): Elizabeth, you're not crazy.

ELIZABETH (ironic): Really, Toby?

TOBY: Well, you have done some pretty crazy things I admit, but you're not actually crazy.

ELIZABETH (bitter): You know how I always said that we're alike, you and me. Well I was wrong about that too. Even though you're a genius you're normal. I'm so far from normal.

TOBY: It's not that. You just need to have...

ELIZABETH: A conscience?

TOBY: Elizabeth, you have one. You must have one.

ELIZABETH: It's in there somewhere. Sometimes I even think I feel it waking up and biting me, but then it all slips away.

TOBY (darkly): Is it as difficult as that?

ELIZABETH (sad): Yes, for me it is.

TOBY: Is there anything I can do to help you?

ELIZABETH (reaching out her arm to touch TOBY's hand) Yes, your being here helps me. Seeing you reminds me of all the horrible things I've done to you.

TOBY: Elizabeth, maybe we don't need to…

ELIZABETH (grabbing TOBY by the wrist): I do need to go over this. Do you know which memory sickens me the most?

TOBY: Which one?

ELIZABETH: That time when I trapped you in the time loop, in my fantasy of what being with you would be like.

TOBY (smiling ruefully): Elizabeth, that wasn't the worst thing you did, not by a long way.

ELIZABETH: I don't know, but it feels the worst. How do I stop myself from being that girl?

TOBY: I don't know.

ELIZABETH (getting up): I know. (She quickly leaves the room, goes upstairs to her bedroom and takes the microchip from the box on the bookcase. She goes back downstairs, sits down next to TOBY on the sofa and puts the chip down on the coffee table in front of him. TOBY picks up the microchip and looks at it.)

TOBY: What is it?

ELIZABETH: It's something I made over the holiday. It identifies impulses in the brain when someone thinks bad thoughts. Then it sends a message to the brain's pain centres. So when you think bad thoughts, you…

TOBY (shivering): Get zapped.

ELIZABETH: So to speak.

(TOBY looks at the microchip with a very worried expression. He realises what she intends to do.)

TOBY: And you want to install this in yourself?

ELIZABETH (matter of fact): Yes. But I need your help, Toby.

TOBY: My help?

ELIZABETH: You need to finish it. Install mechanisms that make it impossible to override, that I can't know about. Then install it in me somewhere I can't get at it to get it out of me.

TOBY (shaking his head): This is crazy.

ELIZABETH: It isn't. Not if you do it. You're the only one I could trust to use it properly. How else can I get you to believe in me? The only way is to put myself completely at your power, because you would use that power to do what's right. And if I ever proved myself to you, you could even switch it off. What do you think?

TOBY: Do you really think that without this you can't be good?

ELIZABETH (leans closer to TOBY): The truth is that I could if you liked me. But that would just be emotional blackmail. And I should know because I'm pretty much an expert in it. How does it sound to you? 'Like me, Toby, and I'll be good.'

TOBY: I see your point.

ELIZABETH: That's why it has to be this. (She holds up the chip.)

(TOBY stares at her, deep in thought.)

ELIZABETH: What is it?

(He appears to hyperfunction. He smiles at ELIZABETH.)

TOBY: Let me try something.

ELIZABETH (looks at him oddly): Ok.

(TOBY takes ELIZABETH by both hands and then kisses her on the mouth. Their lips part and they smile at each other.)

TOBY (with conviction): Elizabeth, trust me, you're good.

ELIZABETH (smiling): Ok.

(The memories end. Only now we see that RAUL and EVA have been watching them. They obviously copied the memories from the USB stick.)

EVA: Oh, how touching.

RAUL (sarcastic): Yeah, I'm almost having second thoughts about breaking them up.

EVA: That conscience chip would be really useful.

RAUL: Yeah. It was nice of Elizabeth to provide us with a back-up plan, in case we can't convince her to join us.

EVA: We get that chip, we could even use it on Toby.

RAUL: We could, but I prefer to use the path of least resistance.

EVA: We have to get those body switching suits tonight.

RAUL: And we will. (He takes a copy of Dina's key out of his pocket.)

EVA (impressed): Those hands of yours certainly move fast.

RAUL: We aim to please.

(EVA goes into the other room, comes back with what look like two vivo polymer suits.)

EVA: Put these together this afternoon. What do you think?

RAUL: They'll do very nicely. Although Elizabeth is so off the ball that I don't even think she'll notice.

EVA: Well, let's get going then.

(They start to pack up, ready to leave).


	7. Chapter 7

(Scene: The next morning. ELIZABETH is walking on the beach on her own. She seems relaxed and happy. She is wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt, with TOBY's inscription visible on her upper arm. She looks out to sea for a few moments, smiling peacefully to herself. Then her mobile phone rings and she takes it out to answer it.)

(Scene: TOBY, on his own in the bungalow. He's holding up the vial of telepathic ink, turning it over in his hand. His mobile phone rings.)

TOBY (distractedly): Hello. Dina? Hi. What? Meet you at school? On a Saturday? Ok, ok. She's not here, ok? I'll be there in a few minutes.

(He leaves the house and starts to walk quickly in the direction of the school. We see 'DINA' waiting by the bleachers. She sees TOBY coming in the distance, quickly takes out her mobile phone and dials a number. She speaks into the telephone:

'DINA': Here he comes. Did you send the real Dina on her way? Good. And you're tracking Elizabeth, right? Good. Yeah, I'll keep you posted. (calls out to TOBY) Hey Toby! Over here.

(TOBY arrives, slightly out of breath): So what's happening? Why did you want to meet me here?

'DINA': I wanted to speak to you somewhere quiet. I have something very important to tell you. You're not going to like it, but you'll thank me in the end.

TOBY (frowning): Sounds ominous. What is it?

'DINA': Last night I managed to speak to someone in a government research institute. I told him about Elizabeth being a genius.

TOBY (horrified): You did what?

'DINA': They were really interested when I sent them some footage of Elizabeth's crazy press conference with the T-Rex.

TOBY: What? How did you even have such a thing?

'DINA': I got hold of some footage at the television station before Elizabeth had everything erased. I thought it might come in handy someday. But don't worry, I didn't tell them anything about you.

TOBY: Are you insane! How could you do this? Elizabeth has changed! She doesn't deserve this!

'DINA': You're kidding yourself if you think she's changed. Maybe she's behaving herself at the moment, but how long did you think it would take before the real Elizabeth showed up?

TOBY: I don't care. And if it ever came to that I'd deal with it myself. Just like I have every time.

'DINA': Yeah, but this time she's got you fooled too.

TOBY (angry): She hasn't got me fooled!

'DINA': How do you know?

TOBY: I just know. Anyway, I have to go and warn her.

'DINA': I wouldn't bother. They called me a few minutes to say that they had picked her up. They've taken her away for tests or something. We might not be seeing her for a while. If ever.

TOBY (exploding with anger): What?

'DINA': I know you're angry now, Toby. But you'll thank me in the end.

TOBY: You're wrong, Dina. (starts to walk away). I'll see you around.

'DINA': Where are you going?

TOBY: Back to the bungalow. See what I can do to fix this mess.

(He walks away).

('DINA' chuckles to herself then makes a phone call)

'DINA': He fell for it. Yeah I know it's a pretty unconvincing lie, but it only needs to hold for a little while. Ok, call me.

(Scene: The real DINA is standing around outside the bungalow, waiting for TOBY. After a couple of minutes TOBY arrives, out of breath. He is not at all pleased to see her.)

TOBY (angry and confused): What are you doing here?

DINA (confused): What do you mean? I came to speak to you.

TOBY: Did you come to apologise?

DINA: What for?

TOBY: You know what for.

DINA: Look, maybe I was a bit harsh yesterday.

TOBY: Yesterday? What about this morning?

DINA: What? (gears herself up to say something). Listen, I came over to tell you that I watched Elizabeth's memories, but I'm still not sure she's genuine.

TOBY (sarcastic): I bet you don't.

DINA: What? Anyway, I wanted to say that even though I'm not convinced she's genuine, I'm not going to do anything to come between you. I know that if Elizabeth's turns out to be a liar, you'll do what you have to do to stop her.

TOBY: That's rich after what you've just done.

DINA: What? I haven't done anything.

TOBY: Very funny. You know very well what you've done.

DINA: Again, what? I watched Elizabeth's memories last night, slept on it then came round to talk to you this morning.

TOBY (looks hard at her, now starting to realise that something is wrong): Just a second, how did you get here anyway?

DINA: Err… I walked over like always.

TOBY: How could you have walked here? You were here before me, and I ran. And you changed your clothes as well!

DINA: What?! This is what I put on this morning to come and see you.

TOBY: So we didn't just meet at school?

DINA: At school?

TOBY: To tell me that you reported Elizabeth to the authorities?

DINA: To the authorities? What for?

TOBY (stunned): For being a genius. Oh no.

DINA: What's going on?

TOBY: Somebody was just pretending to be you over at the school. They must have used the vivo polymer suit.

DINA: You mean those body switching suits you showed me in Elizabeth's lab?

TOBY (horrified): Yeah. Those ones. And because they were in Elizabeth's lab that means…

DINA: That Elizabeth was just pretending to be me! But why?

TOBY: When I found out you reported Elizabeth to the authorities I hit the roof.

DINA: Oh my goodness, Elizabeth was trying to frame me! To make you think that I would do the kind of thing…

TOBY (crestfallen): … That Elizabeth usually does.

DINA (seeing that TOBY is crushed): Toby, I'm sorry. Really. I have to admit I didn't think that she would try something this quickly.

TOBY: Well better now than later I suppose. Anyway, it's lucky that you came round to see me this morning. Who knows what would have happened otherwise.

DINA: So what do we do now?

TOBY: Confront her I guess. (He takes out his phone and dials ELIZABETH's number). She's not answering.

DINA: What a surprise.

(TOBY dials another number)

TOBY: Russ? Can you get over here now? It's an emergency. I'll tell you when you get here.

(He opens the door to the bungalow. He looks inside, pauses for a second, looks sadly inside, then opens the door wide.)

TOBY: Wait for me here. I'm going to go and get Sasha.

DINA: What's your plan?

TOBY: I haven't got one yet. But I reckon the first place to look for Elizabeth is in her lab.

DINA: Ok. (She steps inside doorway then turns and put her hand on TOBY's shoulder) Toby?

TOBY: Yeah?

DINA: It'll be ok.

(TOBY shrugs then runs off.)

(ELIZABETH still on the beach. She sees someone she knows in the distance, smiles and waves to them. We see 'TOBY' coming towards her, wearing different clothes from when we just saw him. They meet. When ELIZABETH goes to kiss him, he steps back.)

ELIZABETH (surprised): What's wrong?

'TOBY' (cross): I've been having a very strange morning so far.

ELIZABETH: What do you mean?

'TOBY': First I meet Dina at school and she tells me that she's reported you to the authorities and that they've taken you away for testing. Then, ten minutes later I meet Dina again, at my house. Only this Dina doesn't know anything about the conversation 'we' just had.

ELIZABETH: What? I don't understand.

'TOBY': Don't you? You haven't by any chance being using _my_ vivo polymer suit, which is in _your_ lab?

ELIZABETH (uncomprehending): Why would I?

'TOBY': To discredit Dina. To get her out of the way. So you can have complete control over me.

ELIZABETH (shocked): Toby, it's not true. I didn't do it. How could you think that I would want to do such a thing? All I've done today is go for a walk on the beach. I was here already when you called me.

'TOBY' (unimpressed): How can you expect me to believe you? I really thought you'd changed, Elizabeth. You really had me fooled this time. So congratulations.

ELIZABETH (breaking down): Toby, I didn't. I truly didn't…

'TOBY': So how do you explain the fact that there are two Dinas?

ELIZABETH (thinking): One of them is the real Dina and the other one is someone is impersonating her, I get that.

'TOBY': Yeah, but the only way for anyone to do that is to use the body switching suit in your lab.

ELIZABETH (suddenly has idea): Yes, and Dina has the key to my lab. She went in there, stole the polymer suit and had some accomplice impersonate her.

'TOBY' (sarcastic): 'Some accomplice'? Who? Mr Woods maybe?

ELIZABETH (upset): I don't know.

'TOBY' (leaving): Well, when you work it out, let me know. But better still, never speak to me again.

ELIZABETH (despairing): Toby, no… (She reaches out for him. He catches her by the wrist, holding her at arm's length, then pushes her back hard so that she falls backwards onto the sand. With that, 'TOBY' walks away. ELIZABETH gets up slowly, crying silently. Then she hyperfunctions. She has a really evil look on her face now.)

ELIZABETH: Dina… Dina… You like playing dirty all of a sudden? You want to see what it means to be really bad?

(She smiles cruelly and walks away. We see her leave the beach and head quickly back into town. The camera pans out to show us 'TOBY' at the wheel of RAUL's car, following her at a safe distance.)

(Scene: we see TOBY, DINA, RUSS and SASHA walking quickly away from the bungalow, armed with various pieces of equipment)

RUSS: Do we really need this stuff?

TOBY: I don't know. I haven't had an idea of how to stop Elizabeth yet, so I thought we should take as much stuff as possible just in case.

SASHA : This thing is heavy. How come Dina gets to carry the truth serum?

DINA: Calm down. We'll swap if you like.

TOBY: I'll take that. You take this. (They swop equipment).

SASHA: What is it?

TOBY: Elizabeth's anti-friction spray.

DINA: Hey I remember that!

SASHA: And what was that thing I was carrying?

TOBY: It allows you to see and hear through walls.

SASHA: Did Elizabeth invent that or did you?

TOBY: Elizabeth.

RUSS: This is cool, hitting Elizabeth with her own equipment.

TOBY. Yeah. Now we have to hurry.

(They hurry on towards the school.)

(Scene: ELIZABETH working alone in her lab. She is working on the conscience chip seen in the recording of her memories, which is connected to her laptop. She looks grimly determined.)

ELIZABETH (typing commands into her laptop): If it can work one way, it can work the other. So let's see how much Dina likes having no conscience. (She smiles darkly.)

ELIZABETH: Maybe I'll even get her to work for me in future! (continues typing commands. She frowns, stops for a moment and rubs her temples.)

EILZABETH: Almost there. (She continues typing. We see her frown and wince as she types, as if she's in pain.)

ELIZABETH: Finished! (She stands up and looks at the chip. Suddenly she hyperfunctions, only it's a different kind of hyperfunction. She groans with pain and doubles over, closing her eyes. After a few moments she raises her head. She seems to have a moment of clarity. Then she breaks down in tears.)

ELIZABETH: Oh no, no, no! (She unplugs the microchip and picks it up). I don't want to do this anymore! (She turns and throws the chip into a wastepaper basket. Then she sits down at the table with her head in her hands. We see RAUL in the lab, creeping up behind ELIZABETH. He reaches out and puts a rag over her mouth, making her fall unconscious.)

RAUL (stepping forward and talking to someone off-screen): Sometimes the old-fashioned ways are the best. Don't you reckon?

(We see 'ELIZABETH' step into view, smiling victoriously. She reaches down to the wastepaper basket, takes out the microchip and hands it to RAUL. He puts it in his pocket.)

RAUL: Help me get her out of here. (They carry ELIZABETH's limb body across the lab, then RAUL drags the unconscious ELIZABETH into the lift. The doors close, leaving 'ELIZABETH' alone in the lab.)


	8. Chapter 8

(TOBY, DINA, RUSS and SASHA in the school corridor, walking purposefully towards the holographic entrance to ELIZABETH's lab. They pass through the hologram and ride the lift to the lab, entering with the key. 'ELIZABETH' is waiting for them inside, sitting proudly at her table.)

'ELIZABETH': Hi everyone! (Sees the equipment) Toby, if you wanted to use my lab for a science experiment, you only had to ask!

TOBY: Very funny. (He steps forward). So what do you have to say for yourself? How can you justify what you've done?

'ELIZABETH': Why should I justify myself? It's a bit annoying that you already worked out that I framed Dina, but it doesn't matter. It means we just get to the end a bit sooner.

TOBY: How can you be this sick? I really thought you had changed!

'ELIZABETH': Sorry Toby. I really did think about it, but it turned out I couldn't change after all.

TOBY: Well, just so we're clear on one thing, you and I are finished. I'm never going to speak to you again.

'ELIZABETH' (unconcerned): You know, you may be right.

TOBY: What do you mean?

'ELIZABETH' (laughing): Well, you remember how 'Dina' (makes parenthetic gesture) said she called some government research lab and reported me? Well, get this: in fact _I_ called the lab and reported _you_ , Toby.

TOBY: What?

'ELIZABETH': I had plenty of evidence to show them too: all those little bits of equipment that you lent me to try and impress me! They were very interested, I must say. So don't be too surprised if sometime today somebody shoves you into the back of a van.

DINA (fuming): Right, that's enough. You're going to get what's coming to you right now. (She runs at 'ELIZABETH'.)

'ELIZABETH' (standing up quickly and reaching for the shrink ray): Get back!

(DINA lunges for her, but she glides out of the way. DINA is only able to catch hold of her cardigan. She pulls on the cardigan, ripping the buttons off and enabling 'ELIZABETH' to slip out of it. DINA's momentum carries her onto the floor, the cardigan still in her hands. 'ELIZABETH' turns to fire the ray on DINA, but SASHA quickly uses the anti-friction spray on her, making her drop the shrink ray. At that moment, we see TOBY hyperfunction. He lifts his head, smiling to himself, then leaps into the fray.)

RUSS: Toby! Watch out for Elizabeth!

'ELIZABETH' reaches to pick up the shrink ray, but TOBY steps on her hand.

'ELIZABETH': Ow!

(TOBY smiles and shows 'ELIZABETH' the truth serum.)

TOBY: Know what this is?

RUSS: She probably does, Toby, she invented it.

TOBY: I don't think so. This isn't Elizabeth.

DINA, RUSS and SASHA: What?

TOBY (to 'ELIZABETH'): This is truth serum. A very handy invention. And invented by the real Elizabeth.

('ELIZABETH' says nothing.)

DINA: What makes you think this isn't Elizabeth?

TOBY (points to 'ELIZABETH's arm): The real Elizabeth has a mark right there.

DINA: Does she? Since when?

TOBY: Since I put it there last night.

'ELIZABETH': I removed it.

TOBY: No you didn't. You don't have the formula and you didn't have time to work it out. Now, let's get this over with. (to RUSS) Russ, you know how to remove the polymer suit.

RUSS: The what?

TOBY: You know, that suit you used to pretend to be me.

RUSS: Oh right! (He kneels down and takes the suit off. We see EVA sitting on the floor.)

DINA (shocked): You!

TOBY: You know her?

DINA: Yes, this is Eva, Raul's sister.

TOBY: Raul your boyfriend?

DINA (horrified): Yeah. (hopeful) But maybe he isn't involved?

SASHA: I don't know. But where's Elizabeth?

TOBY (to EVA): Yeah, where is Elizabeth? (He sprays her with the truth serum)

EVA (coughing): Raul took her.

DINA (angry): I'm going to kill the both of you.

EVA (smiles grimly): As if you could.

TOBY (to EVA): Hey. Keep talking. Took her where?

EVA (disconsolate): To the house.

TOBY (to DINA): You know where it is, right?

DINA: Yeah, I know where it is all right.

TOBY (to EVA): What do you want with Elizabeth? And how do you know we're geniuses?

EVA: An associate of ours happened to intercept some footage of Elizabeth's press conference with the dinosaur before it all got erased. He knew we were looking for recruits for our organisation and thought she showed promise. Then Raul met Dina by chance in Hong Kong. When we found out Dina was from the same school as Elizabeth, it was too good a chance to miss.

TOBY: And you wanted to use Elizabeth for what exactly?

EVA: You know, computer hacking, sabotage, weaponry.

SASHA: Weaponry?

TOBY (spraying her again with the serum): Why?

EVA: To create chaos, stuff like that.

DINA: I can see why they wanted Elizabeth.

TOBY: She won't join them, I'm sure.

EVA (laughs): Why not? Because she's got you? But you broke up with her this morning.

TOBY: What? (realises) Oh no. Your brother has the other polymer suit.

EVA: He's not my brother.

DINA: He's not even your brother?

EVA: No, he's my boyfriend, ok? We've been together since high school.

DINA: So all that stuff about…

TOBY: Never mind that now. If Elizabeth thinks I broke up with her, she's going to be…

EVA (gleefully): Probably psycho again.

TOBY: We have to get out of here. (To RUSS and DINA): Grab her. And take as much stuff as you can carry. Let's get going.

(They leave, dragging EVA with them).

(Scene: the living room of RAUL and EVA's house. The blinds are drawn, leaving the room in semi-darkness. ELIZABETH is sprawled on the sofa, unconscious. Slowly she wakes up and looks around drowsily. RAUL enters the room from the kitchen.)

RAUL: You're awake.

ELIZABETH (looking around): Where am I?

RAUL: Doesn't matter at the moment. By the way, sorry for kidnapping you. I don't normally do things like that. But as you can see, you're not tied up or anything. You can walk out of here, as long as we reach an understanding.

ELIZABETH (not showing any fear): Who are you?

RAUL: An admirer of your work.

ELIZABETH: What do you mean?

RAUL: Your genius. Your ability to invent amazing things. That and your lack of any scruples.

ELIZABETH (scowling): You don't know anything about me.

RAUL: Oh but we do.

ELIZABETH: We?

RAUL: The organisation I represent.

ELIZABETH: You're not from the government.

RAUL: No. Certainly not. We're more like the anti-government.

ELIZABETH: And why would that be of interest to me?

RAUL: We want to make you a job offer. One where your talents could be put to the use they deserve.

(Cut to TOBY, DINA, RUSS and SASHA, dragging EVA along with them in the street.)

DINA (pointing to the house): We've arrived.

TOBY (spraying EVA once again with the serum): They're here, are they?

EVA (in spite of herself): I don't know where else they would be.

TOBY (to RUSS and SASHA): Stay here and keep her under control. (Gives SASHA the shrink ray.) Any trouble from her and she gets it. Right?

SASHA: Right.

TOBY (to DINA): We're going up there.

(Back in the house)

ELIZABETH: So you've kidnapped me in order to offer me a job. (sarcastic) I wonder if I'll accept it?

RAUL: I hope you will. And anyway, from what I hear you're no stranger to kidnapping.

ELIZABETH: That was in the past. I wasn't in my right mind then.

RAUL: Oh, you've changed, is that it?

ELIZABETH: Yes.

RAUL: So tell me, what was it you were doing in your lab today? Making a present for your boyfriend?

ELIZABETH (uncomfortable): None of your business.

RAUL: You were preparing something particularly nasty for poor Dina. And you seemed to be enjoying yourself too. I bet it was a relief, wasn't it, not having to try and make an effort to be good anymore. You could finally go back to doing what you do best. Hurting and controlling people.

ELIZABETH (in a low voice): Is that what you do best?

RAUL: What I really like doing is making people wake up to themselves. Snapping them out of their complacency. Making them realise that they aren't 'all right'. That it takes less than they think to drop the mask of civilisation. Experience life as it really is. Harsh, violent, exhilarating. (coming closer) You're closer than most to throwing off the shackles, Elizabeth. Not only are you smarter, but you also have a power that few of us have. You should use it to its full extent. I promise that it will blow your mind.

(ELIZABETH says nothing, but looks intently at RAUL. In the meantime we see that TOBY and DINA have crept up to the windows of the house.)

DINA (whispering): The living room's through there.

TOBY (setting up the listening/x-ray vision device): Good thing we brought this.

(They are now able to see and hear what's going on inside. They see ELIZABETH sitting on the sofa, listening to RAUL speak.)

ELIZABETH: So basically you want me to come and work for you as your technical support?

RAUL: I wouldn't put it in such mundane terms.

ELIZABETH: Ok. You want me to build weapons you can use to bring down society, is that it?

RAUL: That sounds a little more exciting.

ELIZABETH: And destroying society will give me a sense of fulfilment, right?

RAUL: I reckon so. Listen, Elizabeth, I'm not trying to corrupt the innocent here.

ELIZABETH (soberly): No, you're not.

RAUL: And what have you got to lose? Toby? As far as I can see you already lost him. And he was the last thing standing between you and… and your destiny.

ELIZABETH: You're right. I have lost Toby. And it's true: I did reprogramme the chip to inflict pain when you do good rather than when you do bad. But there's one thing you're forgetting. I threw it away. Because I really don't want to hurt people any more. Not even people who try to hurt me. I don't need that chip any more because my real conscience finally woke up. I felt the pain that the chip would make me feel. So I'm of no use to you.

RAUL: I'm sorry to hear that. Like I said earlier, you walking out of here depends on us reaching a deal. So if your conscience really has woken up, I foresee a lot of pain for you. That can be fixed. (takes the conscience chip out of his pocket). It's all ready to go. Install it and you can be free of your conscience. Wouldn't that be great? The other possibility is this: (puts the chip in his pocket and takes out a gun). Surely you're not going to choose this? What have you really got to gain by trying to be good? Do you think you're ever going to win Toby back? You've got nothing to lose.

ELIZABETH: You're right. I have nothing to live for. So kill me.

RAUL (taken aback): Really? You're sure?

ELIZABETH: Just make it quick.

RAUL: Ok, I can do that.

(He points the gun at her. She closes her eyes.)

TOBY (at the front door. DINA has the anti-friction spray): Now!

(TOBY kicks down the door and DINA fires the anti-friction spray at RAUL. He swings around but the gun drops out of his hands and lands on the floor. TOBY and DINA rush at him and knock him to the floor. The three of them struggle for a few moments. ELIZABETH gets up quickly, grabs the gun and points it at RAUL. He stops fighting. TOBY, meanwhile, takes a small tube out of his pocket and empties the contents over RAUL. He is immobilised. TOBY gets up and hugs ELIZABETH, who puts down the gun. DINA stands over RAUL, looking at him with contempt.)

TOBY (to ELIZABETH): You ok?

ELIZABETH (serious): Yes. I can't believe you came after me what you said on the beach.

TOBY: Elizabeth, I wasn't on the beach.

ELIZABETH: So you didn't…?

TOBY (stroking her cheek): No.

(ELIZABETH sighs in relief and lays her head on TOBY's shoulder. After a couple of moments she lifts her head.)

ELIZABETH: Then who? (realises and turns angrily towards RAUL). You!

TOBY (to ELIZABETH, restraining her): Forget him. He's nothing.

TOBY: (to DINA): Go and get the others. Don't worry about him. He's not going anywhere for the time being.

(DINA nods. She heads for the door, making sure to step on RAUL's leg as she goes.)

DINA (brightly): Oops!

(TOBY turns back to ELIZABETH and kisses her.)

RAUL (disgusted): Don't tell me: love has won the day.

TOBY (turns to look at him): Will you shut up?

(Scene: inside the house: TOBY, ELIZABETH, DINA, RUSS and SASHA standing over RAUL and EVA, who are both immobilised on the floor)

SASHA: So what are we going to do with them?

ELIZABETH: I can think of a few things. (glances at TOBY and smiles) But I'm not going to do them.

DINA: I say we call the police.

RAUL: Call the police and we'll tell them everything. We have plenty of evidence that you two are geniuses.

TOBY: No problem, we'll destroy it.

EVA: You'll never find it all. We already passed some of it on to our associates.

ELIZABETH: That could be a problem.

TOBY: Ok, we won't call the police. But we can't let them go either.

RUSS: Not without finding some way of making sure they behave themselves.

(TOBY and ELIZABETH hyperfunction simultaneously.)

ELIZABETH (smiling at TOBY): Did we just have the same idea?

TOBY (smiling back at her): Let's see. (reaches into RAUL's pocket and takes out the conscience chip). Is this what you had in mind?

ELIZABETH (laughs): Exactly. How amazing is that?

RUSS: What's that?

DINA: It's a microchip that controls your conscience.

RUSS: No way!

TOBY: But it's going to need readjusting, isn't that right, Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH: Yes. We'll need to reset it to its original function. (looks at EVA) We'll also have to make another one.

RAUL: Oh you're kidding me.

ELIZABETH (mocking): What, is it going to be so bad to be good?

RAUL: Yes, it is.

TOBY (to ELIZABETH): We'd better get to work.

ELIZABETH (to TOBY): Your place or mine?

(Scene: we see TOBY and ELIZABETH working in ELIZABETH's lab. There are now two microchips connected up to ELIZABETH's laptop. The others are also in the lab, guiding the prisoners. Finally TOBY and ELIZABETH come forward with the finished chips.)

ELIZABETH: Here we are. (to RAUL and EVA, with a rather malicious smile) Meet the voice of your conscience.

DINA: Who's going to put it in them?

ELIZABETH (smiling): I'll do it. By the way, since you two are even worse than me, I had to boost the signal a bit.

EVA: If you've suddenly got a conscience, how can you justify putting that thing in us?

ELIZABETH: Morally speaking it is a bit complicated, but then again if I'm not morally complicated I don't know who is. Anyway, the installation won't hurt. (brightly) After that... it's up to you.

(She approaches them with the microchips in her hands.)

(Scene: in front of the school. RAUL and EVA get sadly into their car and drive away. TOBY, ELIZABETH, DINA, RUSS and SASHA watch them go.)

SASHA: Do you think they'll behave themselves?

TOBY: I don't know. Maybe they will. They sort of have consciences now.

DINA: Well, I reckon they got off lightly. (turns to TOBY and ELIZABETH). I'm really sorry about everything. I feel like such an idiot.

TOBY: It's ok. How could you know? They were pretty smart operators. They nearly outsmarted all of us.

DINA (shivering): I know. (turns to ELIZABETH) Elizabeth, I'm really sorry for not believing you.

ELIZABETH: Dina…

DINA: I actually kind of wanted to believe you. Seeing you and Toby together nearly convinced me. But all along I had someone whispering in my ear, making me believe what was easiest to believe.

ELIZABETH: It's ok. If I were you I wouldn't have believed me either.

DINA: So are we cool? (sticks out hand)

ELIZABETH: Yeah. (They shake hands.)

SASHA: So what now?

RUSS: I don't know about you but I'm starving. Elizabeth, I don't suppose you've got any more… never mind.

DINA (to RUSS and SASHA): Why don't we go and get something to eat? It's on me. I've already caused enough trouble since I got back.

(DINA links arms with RUSS and SASHA and they start to head off.)

DINA: Maybe we can all have a quiet year now. (She looks significantly at TOBY and ELIZABETH as she leaves.)

TOBY (smiles at ELIZABETH and takes her by the hand): A quiet year would be good.

ELIZABETH: You know, maybe it actually will be.

TOBY: We nearly got caught again.

ELIZABETH (puts her arms round his neck): I know. From now on you and I are going to have to be much more discreet.

TOBY (smiles): What did you have in mind?

ELIZABETH: I'm shutting my lab down for one thing. And I'm going to destroy all my mischief-making devices.

TOBY: It's probably a good idea. I should do the same for a lot of my stuff as well. But when you get an idea you're welcome to use my place.

ELIZABETH (smiling): I'd love to. We could work together at my place too sometimes, if you'd like.

TOBY: Ok.

ELIZABETH: After all, Toby, we're still geniuses.

TOBY: We are.

ELIZABETH: But maybe we need to try and focus our genius a bit better.

TOBY: Such as?

ELIZABETH: Well… shouldn't we try to work on finding cures for diseases or something like that?

TOBY: That sounds like a very good idea.

ELIZABETH (more serious): You know I really did come this close to slipping back into my old ways.

TOBY: I know. But it's ok. You don't have to be completely good. And I have to admit, I always liked you, even when you were bad.

ELIZABETH (pretending to be cross): Now you tell me! (smiles) Toby Johnson, I'm going to have you make you pay for that.

(They laugh, kiss and then walk away from the school, hand in hand).

(The end)


End file.
